She didn’t want to move. Was scared of what awaited her outside this tiny bubble. Was scared of her feelings for this stranger. But she had to be brave, and when he gave a little tug, she forced herself to move. She clambered down from of the helicopter. Finn held her hand for a moment longer, and then released his hold. They were on the roof of a tall building, surrounded by other buildings, more than she could have ever imagined. As far as she could see.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Downtown DC.”
She opened her mouth to ask more as the man who’d been flying the helicopter approached them, and she turned to face him. He was dark where Finn was fair. But he was as tall and broad, and there was a similarity between the two of them that went beyond mere looks. He was studying her curiously, almost avidly. Like Finn, she got no sense of good or bad from him. As though they were beyond such classifications.
“This is Killian, my…business partner,” Finn said.
The man held out his hand. She looked at it for a moment and then shook it, half expecting some sort of reaction. But there was nothing, and she dropped her hand to her side.
“Welcome,” he said, before turning to Finn. “I just heard from Torr. He says they have the surveillance set up and functioning, and they have eyes on the boy if Rachel would like to see.”
She had no clue what that meant, and she turned wide-eyed to Finn.
“You want to see Jacob? Not in the flesh, but you’ll know he’s okay.”
“Really?” She felt a smile breaking out. The first in a long time. “How?”
“I’ll show you. Come along.”
He went to put a hand at her back to usher her along, but dropped it to his side before he touched her. She was grateful, but she also wanted his touch. Did that make her a bad person? Or just a frightened one? Would God strike her down for such thoughts?
Despite growing up in Haven, she’d never paid much heed to God. She did what she had to, followed the rules because she didn’t care enough to flout them. She’d never wanted a man’s touch…before today. She didn’t care what clothes she wore. She had no urge for the trappings of modern society. Her mother had spoken to her about her time away. Sometimes with wonder and longing. But Rachel never felt the urge to run away as her mother had done. She’d felt safe at Haven. As though she knew intrinsically that the world outside was not a kind place. And Papi had somehow instinctively known she needed a level of freedom and allowed her to wander the forest and mountains. Joseph had been the same. He’d said he loved her wildness. She was part of nature, and that could not be evil.
But God…she paid lip service only. She would never tell her beloved Papi, but she didn’t like God. Some part of her resented him. Thought of him as an enemy. She never felt at peace in Church. Had always felt the need the need to get away. God didn’t love her. Whatever Papi said.
She followed Finn and Killian to a door that opened into a small space. She stopped abruptly. Finn and Killian were both inside, looking at her, eyebrows raised. And she forced her feet forward. The door slid closed and she was in a small metal box with two huge men. She took a deep breath, her nostrils filling with a scent of the forest, Finn’s scent, calming her nerves.
She caught Killian’s gaze, and he grinned. “First time in an elevator?”
Her eyes widened as the box sank. She took another deep breath. She’d better get used to new experiences or she’d be a nervous wreck. “Yes,” she said. Though she’d been four when her mother left this world, so perhaps it was conceivable that she’d been in an elevator before. “At least I don’t remember.”
The doors opened at that moment, and she breathed a sigh of relief. They led the way down a corridor, halting in front of a door. Finn placed his hand against a panel to the side, and the door slid open as if by magic. He gestured for her to enter, and she found herself in a large, windowless room. White walls and ceiling, black tiled floor, and one wall held a bank of screens. Two men were watching something on the central screen, but turned as they entered. Her footsteps faltered.
Only the promise of seeing Jacob kept her moving closer. She halted a foot from them, but felt comforted as Finn came up beside her. He wouldn’t let anything bad happen. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did.
“This is Torrin Stormlord,” Finn said, gesturing to the first man.
She looked up into his face, and her breath caught in her throat. He was quite the most frightening thing she had ever seen, and yet for some reason, she wasn’t frightened. Maybe just sensory overload, too many new experiences and her brain couldn’t process enough to be scared. Dressed in black, he was tall, maybe an inch taller than Finn, his skin pale, his eyes a strange almost-yellow and heavy-lidded, his nose big, and his cheekbones sharp with hollows beneath. A vicious scar ran down the side of one cheek from his thick, dark brow to the corner of his lip.
Then he smiled, and suddenly he wasn’t quite so scary. He held out a hand and she shuffled forward and shook it quickly. “Welcome. Our home is yours. Forever and always.”
The words sounded almost ritualistic, but she forced a smile. “Thank you.”
“And Caden Wolfe,” Finn said.
The second man stepped forward. He wore an elegant silver-gray business suit, white shirt, and a dark-red tie that matched his short, dark-red hair. He had blue eyes and a smile that made her feel welcome. Maybe there were levels of scariness, and he looked positively benign next to Torrin Stormlord. “Hi,” he said. “Good to meet you. You want to see your boy?”
“Yes, please.”
He gestured to the screen they’d been watching, and she moved closer. It showed the outside of a large house, three floors high, with columns at the front. Caden reached out and swiped his hand over the screen, and the image changed to a room lit by a dull-red glow.
“Infrared,” Cade said.
She could make out a big bed and a small figure curled up in the middle, his head on the pillow, his eyes closed. As though sensing something, he turned but didn’t waken. Rachel’s heart ached, and she reached out with a trembling hand and touched the screen.
“Where is this?” she asked.
“A couple of miles away. Senator Danvers’s DC home,” Torr replied. “Jacob is safe. The senator won’t harm him, and we’re working on the best strategy to get him out and neutralize the threat.”
“The threat?”
“We need to make sure the senator doesn’t come after Jacob or you again.”
“Oh.” Part of her wanted to ask how they would do that. But maybe best not to know. And most of her didn’t care. How dare he take her son? He deserved whatever came his way. He was an evil man. She’d known that when she was a child, and she knew it now.
“Thank you,” she said. “I don’t know why you’re helping me, but I’m grateful.” Suddenly, she swayed. The events of the day—and night—taking their toll. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “But it’s been a long day.” Her stomach rumbled. “And I haven’t eaten since… I can’t remember.”
Finn was in front of her straightaway. “Come on, I’ll show you where you can sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll have more of an idea of what to do next. You need to be bright and alert. There might be decisions to make.”
She wasn’t sure she would be able to sleep, but just to lie down, close her eyes, stop thinking for a while, sounded wonderful. She followed Finn out of the room, but paused at the door and glanced back at the sleeping form of her son, still on the screen. Soon, she’d see him for real. She had to hold onto that thought.
Torr called out as they left the room. “Finn?”
Just outside the door, he halted and looked back.
“When Rachel is settled, can you come back here? There’s something you need to see. And we need to talk.”
“I’ll be back.”
“Where are we going?” she asked. She hoped it wasn’t far; she was dead on her feet.
“No distance at all.” In fact, he had already come to a halt outside ano
ther door. “We have an apartment here for visitors.” He opened the door and gestured for her to enter.
The door led into a sitting room with a big window on the far side that looked out over the city. They were high up. The walls were pale gray, and two black leather sofas stood facing each other with a coffee table between. “Sit down,” he said. “I’ll get you some food.”
She took the few steps, sank down onto the nearest sofa, and closed her eyes. She could hear him moving around, but didn’t have the energy to check out what he was doing.
“Are you okay?” He sounded worried, and she opened her eyes, found him hovering above her, a tray in his hands.
“Just tired and hungry and a little scared.” A lot scared.
He set a tray on the table in front of her. There was enough food to feed the whole of Haven. Bread, cheese, half a chicken, grapes, tomatoes, other things. And a tumbler of water. “There’s wine if you want it. Do you drink? I mean are you allowed to?”
“Of course. Jesus turned water into wine after all.”
“I suppose he did.”
“But water is fine.” Wine on an empty stomach would not be a good idea. Maybe later. She had a feeling that however tired she was, she was going to find sleep hard to come by. She picked up a piece of bread and nibbled the corner while he hovered above her.
“Your friends,” she said. “Are they like you?”
He cocked his head to one side. “In what way?”
“Can they change into wolves?”
He was silent for a moment and she thought perhaps he wouldn’t answer.
“It’s okay,” she said. “If you shouldn’t tell me or something.”
“No. There are things I can’t tell you, but I think that’s maybe not one of them.” He didn’t sound sure. “Not the wolf thing, but they can do other stuff. And there are three more of us. Bryce and Devlin and Rourke. You’ll likely meet them tomorrow.”
“What are you?”
“That’s one of the things I can’t tell you. But trust me, there are good reasons.”
“I just wish I understood it all. Nothing makes sense. And I feel as though everything is changing and time is running out. But time for what?”
“Try not to worry about it all?” He smiled. “At least until tomorrow. Eat. Sleep. Things will seem better in the morning.”
He was leaving, and suddenly, she didn’t want him to go. “Where will you be?”
“I won’t leave the building, and I’ll be here in the morning when you wake.”
“Okay. Goodnight, Finn. Thank you for… everything.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And he turned and walked away, the door closing behind him. As he left, the last of the tension drained from her, and she sagged. Jacob was safe for the moment; that was all that mattered.
She kicked off her shoes, digging her toes in the softness of the carpet. Then she sat up straight. Time to stop being a wimp. But she couldn’t do that on an empty stomach. She studied the food, pulled off a chicken leg, and nibbled it. Delicious. Some cheese, grapes. She drank the water and could feel the strength flowing through her. She cleared at least half the food before she could fit no more in, then sat back and rested her head against the smooth leather.
It was hard to believe it had only been that morning Finn had pulled her from the river and been shot. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Now she looked around and a tingle of excitement ran through her. She’d never yearned to leave Haven, never wanted to see the big cities and how the rest of the world lived. She’d been happy with her life. But she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement. In the space of a day, the world as she had known it had changed beyond recognition.
And there was more in the world than she had ever expected. Men who could turn into wolves. What else could there be?
She was in Washington, DC.
Would she get to see some of the place? The White House. Capitol Hill. The Lincoln Memorial. She’d read about them.
Rachel jumped to her feet and crossed to the window, looking out over the city sprawled beneath her, the lights. It was the middle of the night, but she could still see cars snaking along the roads. Lights flashing. She turned away and wandered around the room, stroking her fingers over the velvet curtains, the smooth leather of the sofas, the glass. A door led into a big kitchen and she carried the tray through. The fridge was stocked with more food than she could imagine eating, plus bottles of beer and white wine. Even a bottle of champagne. She’d never tasted that before. At Haven, they made their own beer and wine, but not champagne. She washed her plate and cutlery, then went and explored the rest of the apartment.
There was a bedroom with a wide bed covered in a pale grey spread and a white nightgown that someone had laid out across the bottom. For her?
Why were these people being so kind?
Off the bedroom was a huge bathroom, bigger than the bedroom she shared with Jacob. It had a walk-in shower and the biggest bathtub she had ever seen. She was used to washing with a basin of water, with a sponge. The idea of submerging herself in that big tub was not a pleasant one. She didn’t know where her fear of water came from; she remembered her mother telling her she’d been born with it. That from a tiny baby, she’d screamed every time they’d tried to put her in the bath. She had a flashback to the dream—if that’s what it had been—she’d had when she was in the river that morning. It had seemed so real. She’d been drowning. In freezing water. So dark. And she had wanted to die because she’d lost everyone she had ever loved. And death could only be a release.
She knew she’d had the dream before.
She went back and got her bag, brushed her teeth, splashed her face. After turning off the lights, she stripped off her clothes, and pulled on the nightgown. The cotton was soft and smelled of lavender and reached her ankles. Slipping between the cool sheets, she’d never felt anything so comfortable.
As she closed her eyes, an image of Finn filled her head. There was something different, and a memory hovered at the edge of her mind. Something important she had to remember, but before she could grasp hold of it, sleep dragged her under and the memory was gone.
Chapter 10
Finn pulled the door closed behind him and leaned back against it, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. He’d wanted to touch her, kiss her, so badly he ached with the force of holding himself back.
She wasn’t ready for that. And he had to accept that maybe she would never be ready He certainly couldn’t rely on her saying I love you in the specified five days to save her life. He had to come up with another plan.
Torr wanted to talk to him, and Finn had an idea it wouldn’t be about anything good.
He made his way back to the control room and found Torr alone. He was viewing the screens, flicking between images of the senator’s house. He turned as Finn entered. “How is she?”
“Scared, confused, exhausted, but otherwise as well as can be expected.”
“She was always a strong woman. She’ll be fine.”
“She’ll be dead in less than five days unless I find a way around the Covenant.”
“Or unless she remembers her love.”
He shook his head. “I’m not even sure she ever loved me.”
“She loved you.”
“Not enough.”
“So defeatist. I never understood why.”
“That’s because you never doubted Bella’s love. And you still came close to losing her.”
“But I didn’t. Just don’t give up hope.”
Finn ran a hand through his hair, pressing his fingers into his scalp. “The life she’s led… it’s just so different. She won’t allow me to get close. She’s been brought up to think it’s wrong for a man and a woman to even touch unless they’re married.”
“You are married.”
“She doesn’t know that. To her I’m some stranger. If I push her, she might retreat from me completely. Never let me close.”
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“Or you might break through to her. Bella was the same, though for different reasons. The life she had led in this reincarnation, and I’m guessing previous ones, made her almost shut down completely.”
Bella was an empath; she could feel others’ thoughts and feelings, could heal them, take away their pain. But it had a downside—too many negative thoughts and feelings could overwhelm her. Before she’d met Torr, she’d chosen to close down that part of her life as the only way to survive.
“I couldn’t reach her,” Torr said. “She shut me out. But I persevered, and in the end, she remembered. It’s not hopeless. Maybe you have to be bold and make her see you.”
Shit, she wasn’t the only one who was scared.
“What have you got to lose?” Torr asked.
Everything.
Or maybe nothing.
He’d already lost everything, so perhaps Torr was right. And he should push her. Make her notice him as a man. And at the same time, he’d hunt for another answer.
But if he did come up with a plan, all the members of the Covenant would have to agree, and that included Lilith and Gabriel. If he found a compromise that was to Lilith’s liking, no doubt Gabriel would disagree and vice versa.
A sense of hopelessness filled him. He remembered it from old and pushed it down. At least he would be trying, and if he took Torr’s advice, he could at least touch her, attempt to push past the reserves instilled by her strict upbringing. He nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Now, I have some… bad news. Or maybe not. I don’t know.”
“What is it?”
Torr turned back to the bank of screens. He swiped his hand over the central screen a few times and an image appeared. The senator’s office, by the looks of it, with the man himself behind a large mahogany desk.
“This was taken earlier today,” Torr said. “Before we set up the surveillance, but Bryce pulled it from the senator’s own security.”
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